Saudi women only gained the right to drive in 2018, and until recently 25-year-old Ali's transportation experience was limited to cruising around her native Jeddah in the family sedan. The proportion of Saudi women in the workforce has more than doubled since 2016, from 17 percent to 37 percent. Yet unemployment among Saudi women is high - 20.5 percent last year, compared to 4.3 percent for Saudi men. Social mores don't always keep up with changing regulations, however, something the women train drivers have seen firsthand. "This is evidence that Saudi women have full capacity when they are empowered to perform tasks like their brothers."

Source: Ethiopian News January 29, 2023 12:24 UTC